Automatic can washer



June 18, 1929. A, N, LM TED 1,717,998

AUTOMATI C CAN WASHER Filed Feb. 3, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I III N;

June 18, 1929. A. N. OLMSTED AUTOMATIC CAN WASHER Filed Feb. 3, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES arnua 1v. OLMSTED, or CEDAIRBURG, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC CAN WASHER.

Application filed February My invention relates to automatic can washing machines and is directed more particularly to machines of the above character adapted for washing, sterilizing and drying cans ordinarily employed for canning vegetables and the like, an object being to provide an improved machine'of the above character having certain features and advantages in construction and operation.

One of the features of my invention is the construction of an automatic can washing machine having a traveling can carrier or can advancing mechanism which is driven by the fed cans and the water which is sprayed into the cans while the cans are being washed. That is, a machine having a construction in which the weight of the cans themselves, and the water sprayed into the cans during washing, will rotate or advance the can carrier so that the machine is driven to wash'and dry the cans and discharge the cans through a suitable outlet to be conveyed away from the machine. There are other features and advantages, and these will be more particularly pointed out in the ensuing part of the specification and appended claims.

For a better understanding of my invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l'is a face view of my improved automatic can washing machine with the upper part in section as indicated by the line 11 of Fig. 4:;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. 1;

Fig-8 is a right side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is a sectional view along the line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is arear elevation "of Fig. at showing the waterand steam inlet pipes;

Fig. 6 shows the machine mounted in a tilted position so as to drain the water from the cans;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of my improved spraying nozzle; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the hub of the wheel and shaft on which it rotates, to show the water and steam valve construction.

Referring first in general to the operation of the machine, it is so arranged that the cans are fed into the machine from above and upon reaching the machine are supported upon apparatus for conveying-them through the machine, this being in the form of a rotatably supported wheel having supports around the periphery thereof in which the cans rest and so that the weight of the cans on the one side 3, 1926. Serial No. 85,650.

of the wheel, together with the water thrown into the cans for washing, causes a rotary movement of the conveying wheel, during which movement water and steam are successively supplied to a nozzle in front of each can, and which nozzle travels with the can, to first wash the can and then sterilize and heat it with steam so that it will readily dry. This rotary action of the wheel carries the cans aroundto an outlet from which they are discharged and taken away from the machine.

Referring now more in detail to the preferred form of my invention, I provide a suitable casing or enclosure having a rear wall 10 and circular side wall 11 together with a door or cover 12 hinged at 13 and adapted to be held closed by the pivoted clamping screw and nut 14.

This housing contains the can conveyor which isin the form of a wheel including an outer rim 15 supported by tubular spokes 16 connected to a central hub 17 rotatably sup ported upon a stationary shaft 18, which latter is suitably secured to the rear wall 10 of the casing. This'wheel supports the can carriers, which carriers are made up in the form of a notched ring 19 fastened to the rim 15, the notches 20 being shaped according to the size or shape of can which is to be washed, the one illustrated being for a circular can.

Opposite each can supporting recess is a nozzle for spraying the'cleaning and drying fluid into the open can, this nozzle being made up of a countersunk screw head 21 (Fig. 7

set into a correspondingly countersunk opening 22 in the face of the rim 15, said opening 22 being connected with a passage 23 extending to the tubular spoke 16. Each spoke 16 extends down to the hub 17', being threaded therein and fastened at its upper end to the rim 15 by a connecting nut 24 so as to provide a water and steam tight joint.

In order to wash and dry the cans I preferably successively apply washing and drying fluids to the cans through the spraying nozzles, and to this end I provide valve mechanism in the hub and shaft of the wheel so that first water is 'supplied'to the nozzles for part of the revolution of the wheel and thereafter steam is applied so as to sterilize and to heat the cans to readily dry. them. This valve mechanism is in the form of a water port 25 and steam port 26, each comprising a slot or groove cut into the periphery or bearing surface of the shaft'18. Water port 25 is connected with a water supply pipe 27 and the steam port 26 is connected with a steam supply pipe 28. In the hub 17 is fastened securely an inner ring 29 of suitable material so as to properly run on the shaft 18 and through the hub 17 and ring 28 holes 30 are drilled for connecting the tubular spokes to the inner face of the hub so as to successively receive the water and steam as the wheel rotates on its shaft.

The water, and steam ports 25-26 are so spaced that the down-coming cans as fed to the conveyor receive the washing water during the initial or downwardtravel of the wheel and when each can reaches the bottom of the travel the water is shut off as the valve ring 29 passes across the face 18 of the shaft and then steam is applied during the upward travel of the can. Thus during the downward travel the weight of the water assists in driving the wheel, for during the upward movement of the cans they have been drained of the water and are being dried.

Now as to the support for the cans during their passage through the casing, I provide an inlet 31 to which a suitable feeding chute 32 is attached, so that the cans 33 are fed down into the opening from above. The cans rest upon rails 3l-35 as they roll down-into the machine and then over a central tongue 86 which passes between the'front and rear port-ions 20'2O of theteeth which form the can supports. A rib 37 projects from the side wall of the feeding inlet so as to guide the cans into the carrier wheel wit-h least friction. A pair of ribs 3839.extend inwardly from the outer circular wall of the casing so as to provide a guiding or rolling track for the cans as they travel around through the casing.

At the can outlet of the casing the tongue 40 extends down betweenthe lugs 2O20 of the can supports so as to guide the cans I into the outlet, as the wheel carries them around, the cans thenpassing out into a suit-' able chute 41 by which they are taken away i and disposed of in anydesired manner.

Operation.

Referring now to the operation of the machine, and assuming thatit has been mounted as shown in Fig. 6 so that the water will drain from the cans, cans '33 indicated by dotted lines are fed intothe inlet of the machine at the top of the casing; being forced down into the machine by rolling and t-he pressure of water port 25 of the' shaft valve flows up through the tubular spokes 16 and out of the spraying nozzle 22 into the open end of the cans as the wheel carries them around. Each can thus receives the water while it is being conveyed forwardly until its valve opening in the hub reaches the valve face 18 of the shaft, at which time the water is shut off to be carried away in the conveyor 41 to the desired spot.

. The drained water and steam flow down wardly and through the outlet 0 at the bottom of the casing.

Thus each can during its travel through the machine is first thoroughly Washed, the sprayingnozzle being such that the washing water thoroughly cleanses the interior of the can. Thecan isthen thoroughly sterilized and dried by the hot steam so that when it leaves the machinethe can isready for use.

Also. it will be seen that so long as cans are being fed to the inlet of the machine,- the Weight' of..the fed cans together with the water which is being sprayed into them drives the can carrying wheel during the washing operation until they are discharged from the outlet.

The terms down side and up side refer to the motion of thelcans so that any place where the cans are moved with gravity is the down side and any place where the cans are moved against gravity, is the up side.

For the purpose of illustrating my inven tion Ihave shown it in its preferred form, but Icontemplate using it in other ways than that illustrated and therefore do not de-' sire to be limited to the exact structure shown, but aim to cover all that which comes within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is Z i 1. In a can washer. an endless carrier for supporting aseries of cans at various eleva t-ions, means for feeding cans onto the carrier at a point ofelevation, means for removing the cans at a point of elevation lower than the feeding means, and means for supplying cleaning fluid to the cans at points of elevation adjacent the feeding; means so that the weight of the cans and added weight of the water will drivethe carrier,

2. The washer defined in claim 1 with means for applying steam to the interior of the washed cans on the ascending path of the carrier, to remove the excess water from the cans to lighten the same and simultaneously sterilize the same. i

3. In a can washer a carrier rotatably mounted on a non-vertical axis, and adapted to support a plurality of cans on its periphery, means for supplying empty un-.

washed cans to the carrier near the highest point of said periphery, means for s raying a stream of water to the cans as tiey are supplied to the carrier, and means for interrupting the flow of water to the cans when they reach the lowermost point of their travel on the carrier.

4. The can washer defined in claim 3 with means for steaming the washed cans, said steam supplying means being positioned to the cans on the up side of the carrier.

5. A can washer comprising a carrier in wheel form rotatable upon a non-Vertical axis, recessed can supports on the rim of said wheel, spraying jets on the wheel near the can supports, and means for continuously supplying water to the jets which are on the down side of said wheel carrier.

6. The washer defined in claim 5 with means for supplying steam to said jets on the up side of said wheel.

7 The washer defined in claim 5 with a hollow spoke making a connection to each jet at each can position, and a valve in. the hub of the carrier for controlling the admission of water and steam to the jets through the hollow spoke.

8. In a can washer, a carrier in the form of a wheel adapted to support a line of cans on its periphery and having can intake and can discharge means both near the top of the wheel, and having its axis slightly inclined from the horizontal, thereby causing said wheel to be inclined slightly away from the vertical, means for discharging a jet of water into the cans on one side of the Wheel and means for discharging a jet of live steam into the cans on the other side of the wheel, the weight of the water in the cans on said one side being such as to drive the wheel and operate the can intake and discharge means, and the inclination of the wheel serving to facilitate the drainage of water from the cans.

9. In a can washer, a drum like housing, a wheel like carrier mounted on an axis other than a vertical one on the inside of the drum housing and having means for supporting cans on its periphery, an opening at the top of the housing with means for admitting cans thereto for feeding to the periphery of the carrier, a second opening near the top of the housing and below the first opening with means for deflecting the cans off the periphery of the carrier through said opening and means for supplying water to the cans on the feeding side of the carrier to wash the cans and supply additional weight thereto to drive the carrier.

10. A can washer as defined in claim 9 with means for supplying steam to the cans on the up side of said carrier.

11. The combination defined in claim 9 wherein the wheel carrier is provided with jets on the periphery pointing into the cans, with passageways from the jets to the center of the carrier, means being provided for discharging water through said jets on the down side of the carrier, and means for supplying steam through the same jets on the up side of said carrier.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of January, 1926.

ARTHUR N. OLMSTED. 

